Web feeding device



April 26, 196 0 R. A. LABINE WEB FEEDING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 25. 1956 FIG. 2

' 08 INVENTOR n2 Roma CLMW @w w&.

April 26, 1960 R. A. LABINE WEB FEEDING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 25, 1956 FIG?) April 26, 1960 R. A. LABINE 2,934,338

WEB FEEDING DEVICE Filed Oct. 25, 1956 3 Sheets-Shget 3 I o 62 o 5 6 1 o I 66 O 54 52 22 I I 1 I 83? l 64 f a u I 24 15 I I I I E: EH ,4 H

' INVENTOR BY W ATT RNEYS United States Fatent WEB FEEDING DEVICE Roland A. Labine, Somers, Conn., assignor to Package Machinery Company, East Longmeadow, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 25, 1956, Serial No. 618,284

Claims. (Cl. 271-22) transmitted through the web, to be accelerated to a speed .at which the web is to be delivered to the wrapping machine, thus tending to produce a shock loading on the web which easily might rupture it. Thereafter, once the supply roll is rotating the further problem of slackness is introduced where the wrapping machine ceases to draw 1 paper during a portion of its cyclic operation. The web, 1 however, will continue to be delivered by rotation of the supply roll until the friction of its mounting means decelerates the roll to a stop.

With the above in mind, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved feed device for sheet material which can accommodate variations in the linear speed of a web drawn therefrom without allowing either slackness in theweb or imposing any excessive loadings on the web. 7 t

It is a further object of the invention to provide a feed device of the character described which is extremely simple and economical of manufacture.

The invention in ,one of its aspects comprises a feed \device for a sheet material web which is to be discharged from the device at varying linear rates, means for rotatably mounting a supply of sheet material from which Lsuch web is drawn, means for maintaining the web in a ucontrolled path when the linear rate ,of the web 'at the "exit side of the device is less than its linear rate as it is .ibeingadelivered' by the supply roll, and means for gradpally increasing the pull on the web when its linear rate '1 "at the. exit sideof the device is greater than its linear rateas delivered'by'the supply roll, thus accelerating the 'supplyroll in a smooth and gradual manner without :imposing a rupturing load on the web.

A further aspect of the invention will be found in a I feed device for a sheetmaterial web having means for T rotatably mounting a supply roll, means for discharging a web drawn oft the supply roll outwardly from the exit "side of the' device, a pair of idler rolls, a slackener roll "and an acceleration roll, said rolls forming a looped path 1 for the web as it .pas'ses'through the device, the slackener i roll and acceleration rolls are movable toward and away from the idler rolls tovary the lengths of such loops, the slackener roll is' balanced to exert a substantially constant pull on the web which is less than that required to overcome'the friction of the supply roll mounting means and the acceleration roll is balanced to exert an increasing pull on the web as it is displaced toward the idler rolls, thus the slackener roll either alone or in comand 2,934,33 Patented Apr. 26, 1960 2 binatibri wanna acceleration roll may maintain the web in a controlled path when it is being delivered by the supply roll at a rate greater than'it is being discharged from the device whereas the increasing pull exerted by the acceleration roll on the web will accelerate the supply roll in a smooth and gradual manner when the rate of the web at the exit side of the device is greater than the rate at which it is being delivered by the supply roll.

The means of the present invention for gradually in creasing the pull on the web as the supply roll is accelerated find further utility in combination with novel means for replenishing an exhausted supply rollwith a fresh supply roll. In accordance with yet another object of the invention there is provided, in combination with means for gradually increasing the pull on aweb of sheet material to accelerate a supply roll, means for mounting a second supply roll outwardly of the first supply roll and on surfaces leading to the first supply roll mounting means. When the leading edge of a web from the second supply roll is spliced to the trailing end of the web from the first supply roll latch means are removed from obstructive relation to allow the second supply roll to be drawn by the pull on the web toward the first supply roll mounting means, after the first supply roll is removed therefrom. V

The above and other related objects and aspects of my invention will be more fully understood from a reading of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the novelty thereof pointedout in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with certain portions broken away, of my feed device; a

Fig. 2 is a left hand elevation of a portion of the device seen in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the right hand portion of the device seen in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale and with certain portions thereof shown in section, certain elements are displaced to alternative positions more clearly shown in Fig. 4; I

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line IV--IV in Fig. 3;

Fig, 5 is a section taken on the line VV in Fig. 3. Referring first to Fig. l the overall organization of my device may be seen. A supply roll 10 of sheet material is rotatably mounted so that a web W may be drawn therefrom to pass over a rotatably mounted first idler roll 12, under a slackener roll 14, over a second idler roll 16, under an acceleration roll 18, and upwardly to discharge means comprising power driven rolls 20 and 22 to 'pass outwardly from the exit side of the device to some further machine orinstrumentalities which utilize the web. i I i l There are two spaced main frames 24, 26 of a composite construction on which the various'means of the device may be disposed. Thesupply roll 10 is carried .on a shaft 27 rotatably mounted injournals 28, which secured thereto, a pair of sprockets 44 which are respec tively adjacent the main frames 24, 26. Extending around the sprockets 44 adjacent each main frame are (Fig. 1).

roller chains 46. A further shaft 52 is journaled in the main frames 24, 26 beneath the second idler roll shaft 36. The shafts 36 and 52 each have secured thereto a pair of sprockets 54 and chains 56 disposed in the same fashion as the chains 46.

The chains 46 and 56 are respectively provided with extended roller pins 48, 58. The slackener roll 14 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 50 extending between the chains 46 and movable therewith by reason of being secured to pins 48 of each chain'(Fig. 3). Similarly the acceleration roll 18 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 60 extending between the chains 56, being secured to pins 58.

Thus two loops may be formed in the web W which may be varied depending upon the vertical positions of the slackener roll 14 and the acceleration roll 18 with respect to the first and second idler rolls 12 and 16 and the discharge means comprising the power rolls 20, 22.

The rolls 20, 22 are secured to shafts 62, 64 respectively which extend between the main frames 24, 26 and are journaled thereon. Secured to shafts 62, 64 are matching gears 66, 68' (Fig. 4), which assure that these two rolls will rotate at the same rate. The power for these rolls is supplied by an electric motor M mounted on the underside of an overhanging projection of the frame 26 A belt 70 extending between a motor pulley 72 and speed reducing pulley 74 rotate-s a smaller pulley 76 carried on a shaft common with the pulley 74 to transmit power through a belt 78 to a pulley 80 secured to the first power roll shaft 62.

The slackener roll 14 and acceleration roll 18 as well as their respective associated chains 46 and 56 may be guided for vertical movement by composite channels or rails 82 which are spaced from the side frames 24, 26 and provided with guideways 83 spaced apart a distance approximating the diameter of the rolls on the chains and confining the links thereof to prevent transverse movement of the chains. 7

As an additional feature means may be provided for positioning the slackener roll 14 and acceleration roll 18 adjacent the first and second idler rolls 12, 16. These means as herein shown take the form of hand wheels 116, 118 keyed to the shafts 30, 36 respectively. Each wheel has internal ratchet teeth which, when engaged by respective pawls 120, 122, permit rotation of the wheels '116, 118 and associated shafts 30, 36 in a counterclockwise direction while preventing opposite rotation thereof.

Thus the sprockets 44, 54 may be rotated to raise the. slackener roll 14 and acceleration roll 18 to web threading or inserting positions whereat they will be maintained by the pawls 120, 122. After a web has been inserted,

. the pawls may be rotated about studs 124, out of engagement with the ratchets of the wheels 116, 118, in which positions they are maintained by their heavy handles against screws 126 extending from the main frame 26.

Inthe operation of the present device it is desired that the slackener roll 14 exerting a downwardpull on the web which approximates or preferably is slightly less than the pull required to rotate the supply roll 10 in thejournals 28. To this end the slackener roll 14 is so balanced by weights 84 secured to the lower chain pins 48. It will be noted that the weights 84 are disposed on the side of the roll chain 46 away from the side which carries the slackener roll 14 and further thatthrou ghout'the vertical travel of the slackener roll 14 the weights remain onisaid opposite side so that'the'downward pull of the slackener roll remains substantially constant.

It is desired thatlthe acceleration roll'18 exert substantially no downward pressure on the web W when it is in its lowermost position and that it exert anincre'asing pull thereon as it moves upwardly towards the second idler roll 16 and the discharge rolls 2.0, 22., Weights .86 are therefore secured to the pins 58 of the chains 56 in a manner shown in Fig. 1, wherein the weights plus the weight of the acceleration roll are balanced ind e-lowermost position 'thereshownf'However, as the acceleration 4 roll- 18 moves upwardly more and more weights will pass around the sprockets 52 and add their weight to the pull already being exerted by the acceleration roll 18 on the Web as the roll 18 is raised.

In the normal operation of my device the web W may be drawn from the supply roll, 10 by the discharge rolls 20,22, in response to a pull being exerted on the web extending from the exit side of the device. Such pull L causes the web to be wrapped around the rolls20, 22 with sufficient force to result in; a driving'friction pulling the web W upwardly around the acceleration roll 18 and thereby raise. it to an intermediate position indicated by the arrow A in Fig. 1. 'This position reflectsthe pull which must be ,exertedon the web to maintain the supply roll at a constant rate of rotation once its inertia of acceleration has been overcome. The pull of the slackener roll 14 on the web W being substantially less than the pull by the acceleration roll results in its assuming an uppermost positionindicated in dashlines' in Fig. 1 in which it is held against a fixed stop 88.

When the pull at the exit side of the device is decreased, the frictional forces on the rolls 20, 22 will become insufficient to continue to discharge the web. This means thatno upward pull will be exerted on the web as it passes around the acceleration roll 18, and that the roll will therefore drop from position A to the full line position in Fig. 1. The pull on the web having been reduced to 'Zero the slackener roll 14 will also drop downwardly from its upper position aslimited by the stop 88 to some intermediate position as illustrated in Fig. 1. The rolls 18 and 14 will drop to enlarge the loops formed therearound so long as the supply roll 10 continues to' 'rotateand until the'frictional forces of its mounting means bring it to rest. In this manner the above described means form a deceleration control station for maintaining the web at all times in a controlled path, thereby avoiding any problems which might be introduced by slackness in theweb when the linear rate of the web being discharged from the device is zero and the linear rate of the web being delivered by the supply roll 10 continues fora period thereafter. The

1 above control 'motio'ns'of the' acceleration roll 18 and slackener roll 14 will also result in response to a mere decrease in' the speedat which the web is discharged "from the device. In other words, when the rate of discharge of the web is less than the-rate at which it is delivered from the supply roll 10, either'the roll 14 or the" roll 18 or both may elongate the loops formed therearound to at all times maintain the web ina controlled g'agement with the driven-rolls 20, 22. The full driving force will immediately be transmitted to the web W causing first the slackenerroll 'to move upwardly, since it exerts the least pull on the web, to, assume its dash position as limitedby the stop88 (see also Fig. 4). The acceleration roll 18 will at about the same time be raised upwardly by the pull'thereon and a force transmitted through the web'to the roll 10 to initiate its acceleration. '5 Thei'nitial' force on the web 'thus will be'first the rather negligible force of the slackener roll. 14' and then the progressively increasing force of'the acceleration roll18. In this manner a gradually increasing force is introduced tov the web as the accelerationroll is raisedto the. full .line position in Fig. 4 or position Bin Fig.=l, for example, at which .point the greatest number of weights 86 will be exerting a maximum pull on the web W. However, since the pull of the weights has been gradually increased no shock loading is transmitted to the web and a rupturing force is avoided by the arrangementof the remaintvnar'earfi nses *nractemrauaseaaau station in the device. Once the roll has been accelerated to its normal operating speed the acceleration roll 18 will drop back to the position shown by the arrow A in Fig. 1 which indicates the normal force required to overcome the friction of the system and maintain the roll 10 rotating at a constant rate. Similarly, but on a reduced scale, the same variations and pull exerted by the acceleration roll 18 would occur where the linear rate of the web at the exit side of the device is greater than the linear rate of the web being delivered by the supply roll 10.

The means provided by the acceleration control station for gradually increasing the pull on the web as a supply roll is accelerated have found great utility in combination with a novel scheme for replenishing the supply roll when it is depleted. To this end a second supply roll 90 is mounted outwardly of, the first supply roll 10 with its shaft 92 resting on rail-like surfaces 94 on either main frame 24, 26. The outer ends of shaft 92 are captured between fixed stops 96 and latches 98, the latches being pivotally connected to pins 100 extending beneath the rail-like surfaces 94 and the main portion of the latches 98 lying within recesses 102 formed in said rail-like surfaces. A lever 104 extends downwardly from each latch 98 and is connected through links 106 respectively to treadle arms 108. Each treadle arm is fast upon a shaft 110 which extends between the frames 24, 26 and outwardly of each frame is provided with secured treadles 112. Depression of either treadle 112 will overcome springs 114 (only one of which is shown) and rotate the latches 98 to depress it out of obstructive relation with the shaft 92, causing the latches to lie beneath the raillike surfaces 94.

Withthe above arrangement a webW may be drawn from the supply roll 90 and spliced to the web W, as at S, when the supply roll 10 nears depletion. The web W' may then be dissociated from the shaft 27 as the latter is removed. The web W will then be drawn taut during further operation of the device and the pull thereon, upon depression of either treadle 112 will roll the supply roll toward the upwardly open journals 27 wherein the shaft 92 will be seated. Sloping surfaces 128 facilitate entry of the shaft 92 while the vertically blending surfaces 130 prevent the shaft 92 from overriding the journals 27.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as novel and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A feed device for sheet material webs, comprising journals for receiving a shaft which carries a supply roll of sheet material, discharge means for carrying a web of sheet material delivered from the supply roll away from the exit side of the device, first and second idler rolls, a slackcner roll disposed beneath said first and second idler rolls, an acceleration roll disposed beneath said second idler and said discharge means, all of said rolls controlling the path of travel of the web delivered from said supply roll over said first idler roll, under said slackcner roll,

a over said second idler, under said acceleration roll, to

said discharge means and away from the exit side of the device, said slackcner and acceleration rolls being vertically guided for reciprocable movement, means for balancing said slackcner roll to exert a constant downward pull on said web which pull is less than the pull required to overcome the friction of said shaft in said journals and rotate the supply roll, means for balancing said acceleration roll to exert substantially no downward pull on said web when said roll is in its lowermost position and to exert an increasing pull on the web as it is raised.

2. A feed device for sheet material webs, comprising journals for receiving a shaft which carries a supply roll of said material, discharge means for carrying a web of sheet material delivered from the supply roll away from the exit side of the device, first and second idler rolls, a slackcner roll disposed beneath said first and second idler rolls, an acceleration roll disposed beneath said second'idler and said discharge means, all ofsaid rolls controlling the path of travel of the web delivered from said supply roll over said first idler roll, under said slackener roll, over said second idler roll, under said acceleration roll, to said discharge means and away from the exit side of the device, said slackcner and acceleration rolls being movable toward and away from the first andsecond idler rolls and discharge means to vary the length of the loops formed therearound, means for balancing said slackcner roll to exert a constant pull on said web which vpull is less than the pull required to overcome the friction of said shaft in said journals and rotate the supply roll, means for balancing said acceleration roll to exert substantially no pull on said web when in its most. remote position from said second idlerroll and discharge means and to exert an increasing pull on said web as it is displaced toward said rolls.

3. A feed device for sheet material webs, comprising spaced main frames having journals for receiving a shaft which carries a supply roll of sheet material, means for discharging a web drawn off the supply outwardly from the exit side of said device and thereby imparting rotation to said supply roll, first and second idler rolls, a slackener roll disposed beneath said first and second idler rolls, an acceleration roll disposed beneath said second idler and said discharge means, all of said rolls controlling the path of travel of a web extending from said supply roll over said first idler roll, under said slackcner roll, over said second idler roll, under said acceleration roll, to said discharge means and away from the exit side of the device, a pair of shafts extending between said main frames and journaled therein, means for rotatably mounting said idler rolls on respective shafts, a second pair of shafts beneath the first and second, idler rolls respectively, and extending between said frames and journaled therein, a pair of sprockets securedto each pair of shafts and respectively adjacent each main frame, roller chains extending around the sprockets on each idler roll shaft and the respective sprocket therebeneath, a shaft on which the slackcner roll is rotatably mounted, said shaft being secured at its ends to the chains passing over the first idler roll shaft, a second shaft on which the acceleration roll is rotatably mounted said acceleration roll shaft being secured at its ends to the chains which pass around the second idler roll shaft, means for balancing said slackcner roll to exert a constant pull on said web which pull is less than the pull required to overcome the friction of said supply roll shaft in said journals and rotate the supply roll, means for balancing said acceleration roll to exert substantially no downward pull on said 'web when the roll is in its lowermost position and to exert an increasing pull thereon as it is raised.

,4. A feed device as set forth in claim 3 wherein the chains carrying the slackcner and acceleration roll shafts have pins extending therefrom, weights are affixed to the slackcner roll chain pins to balance said slackener roll so that throughout its movement from its uppermost to its lowermost position it exerts a substantially constant pressure on the web which pressure is less than that required to overcome the friction of the supply roll in its mounting means and rotate said supply roll, other weights are afiixed to the acceleration roll chain pins to balance said acceleration roll so that it exerts substantially no pressure on the web when in its lowermost position and exerts an increasing pressure thereon during at least a portion of its movement in an upward direction.

5. A feed device as set forth in claim 3 wherein the roller chains are disposed in vertical planes and are confined therein by guide rails extending from said main frames.

6. A feed device as set forth in claim 5 wherein a stop is provided to limit the upper position of the slackcner roll below the tops of the sprockets carried by the first idler roll shaft.

7. A feed device as set forth in claim 3 wherein ratchet meansare associated with the first and second idler-roll shafts which permit rotation-of said shafts; and v the sprockets v thereon to lift the; 'slackener and acceleration rolls to their uppermostlimits andmaintain said rolls thereat to-facilitate the t-hreadingrof theleading edge of a web of said material through-said device and means for inactivating "said ratchet means during normal operation of said device.

8. A feed device for sheet material webs comprising,

means for "rotatably mounting a su'pply roll of sheet material, dischargemeans'forcarrying a web of sheet material delivered from the supply roll away from the exit side of the device, means for maintaining the web ina controlled path while-'the-supply roll continues to deliver the web therefrom as it decelerates to a stop when the web ceases tobe discharge'd from the exit side of the device, means for mounting a second supply roll of said material outwardly ofsaid first supply roll :and onsurfaces leading to said first supply roll mounting means, latch means in'obstructive relation with said second supply roll preventing free movement thereof toward said first supply roll mounting means, said second supply roll thus being in a position'in which its web may be spliced to the web of the first supply roll, means for removing said latch means from obstructive relation after a web from said second supply roll has been so spliced and after removal of said first supply roll, and means for gradually increasing the pull on the web to draw it from said second supply roll and at the same time draw said second supply roll towards said first supply roll mounting means thereby gradually increasing the'web pull and avoiding a rupturing load on the web'as it enters's'aid rotatable supply roll mounting means. 1

9. A feed device for sheet material webs, comprising means for rotatably mounting a supply roll of sheet'material, discharge means for carrying a web of sheet material delivered from said supply roll :awayfrom the exit side of said device,-' first and second idler rolls," a slackener: roll movable toward and away from said idler rolls, an acceleration roll movable toward and away from; said second idler roll and said discharge means, said web being trained successively over said first idler' roll, said -'slackener roll,'s'aid'second-idler roll, said"acceleration roll to said-discharge means, means for exerting asubstantially constant pull on'sai'd slackener roll tending to form -a web loop'of increasing length therearound, means independent of said last-named means for exerting a varying .pull on said acceleration roll tending to form a web loop of increasing length 'therearound, said means exerting a varying pull increasing as the length of loop around the acceleration roll decreases.

10. A control device for sheet material webs, comprising at least two members around which a' traveling web is trained, means for'exerti'ng' a substantially constant force on one of'said members tending to 'form a loop of increasing-length in said web, means for forming a second loop around theother of said members, and means independent of the first force exerting means for exerting-force onthe other of said members varying in inverse ratio to the length of said second loop.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES jPATENTS 

